Yuanling

The “beautiful little town” of Shen Congwen's writings, with Longxing Temple, Mount Eryou of the “books of Eryou” legend, the old-growth secondary forest of Jiemuxi and scenery along the Yuan River.

Yuanling lies at the northern tip of Huaihua in Hunan Province and is the largest county in Hunan by area. The Yuan and You rivers meet at the county town. Known in ancient times as Chenzhou, it was the seat of Chenzhou Prefecture in the Ming and Qing dynasties, served as Hunan's temporary provincial capital during the War of Resistance against Japan, and was called a “beautiful little town” by Shen Congwen. The county town is the heart of any visit: at the foot of Huxi Hill to the northwest stand Longxing Temple, built by imperial order in the Tang dynasty, and Huxi Academy, where Wang Yangming once lectured; on the south bank, Fenghuang Hill holds the site where Zhang Xueliang was held under house arrest; the Malu Lane area of the old town preserves wartime sites and Shen Congwen's residence, Yunlu; and on the river, the “Three Pagodas of Chenzhou” line up in a row. Following the You River northwest leads to Mount Eryou, source of the saying “well-read as the books of Eryou,” and the Fengtan Reservoir; to the north are the Jiemuxi National Nature Reserve and the old Hujiaxi village; to the east are Wuqiangxi Reservoir and Chenlong Pass. Spring and autumn are the best seasons: fresh greenery covers the hills in Apr–May, and Jiemuxi's autumn colors peak in Sep–Nov. In summer you can cruise the lakes and go rafting to beat the heat, and around the Dragon Boat Festival the Yuanling dragon boat races — a national intangible cultural heritage — take place. Expressways link Yuanling with Changsha and Zhangjiajie (about 1.5 hours' drive away), and Yuanling Station is on the Zhangjiajie–Jishou–Huaihua high-speed railway. Allow 2–3 days: one day in town, one at Jiemuxi, and half a day each at Mount Eryou and Wuqiangxi. Attractions are spread across the mountains, so driving or hiring a car is best. Be sure to try pig's trotter rice noodles, sun-dried fish and Jietan tea.

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